Mesut Ozil signed for Arsenal in the summer of 2013 for £42.5m and was branded as one of the best players in the world and arguably the best number 10 in football. However, since his move from Real Madrid he hasn't quite lived up to his full potential.

On first viewing he looked to be worth every penny of his large transfer fee but he quickly began to lose form and confidence. His influence is still huge on the pitch and him signing for the Gunners definitely gave everyone involved within Arsenal new found belief. A belief which appeared to take them to an FA Cup triumph in which Ozil scored a crucial goal against Everton in the quarter-finals. What caused his form to dry up is open to debate though.

At Real Madrid Ozil had the likes of Ronaldo running in behind and as a result he gained many assists as the German's brilliant vision created a host of scoring opportunities. With Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain both spending lengthy time on the sidelines in 2013/14 it meant Arsenal had no runners in behind. As a result Ozil found it increasingly difficult to create chances, purely because of the fact that no one in the Arsenal side made attempts to get into dangerous areas when he was on the ball.

In Ozil's first 10 Premier League games he provided six assists but in his last 19 he's only provided the team with three. Further evidence, if needed, of his incredible decline recently.

During Ozil's three years at Real Madrid, he got an incredible 47 assists with 15 of those coming in his final season with the club. His first season with Arsenal though saw him bag 11 assists despite missing over a month of football due to injury. The majority of his first season saw him play in his preferred role behind the striker but for some bizarre reason he started to play on the flanks. His performances quickly became very average and many have started to label him a flop.

The title of a flop is thrown around very lightly nowadays and anyone that is bought for a hefty fee and has a string of bad games is slated when it isn't quite justifiable. Although Ozil played on the left in Germany's successful World Cup campaign, it is hindering Arsenal that he is playing on the left in a 4-1-4-1 formation at the moment. He isn't able to have an influence of the game, he looks very low on confidence and is very isolated.

It's therefore easy to see why he's being criticised so openly, but considering Arsene Wenger is wasting what was one of the best attacking midfielders in the world's talent out wide, the criticism he's been receiving isn't entirely justified.

If people are going to put the blame on Ozil because he's going missing in games then a number of other players in this Arsenal squad have to be criticised for a similar thing. The midfield has often gone missing this season so to use Ozil as a scape-goat purely because of his price tag isn't fair on him.

Furthermore, Wenger appears to be utilising Ozil on the left in a bid to accommodate Jack Wilshere. Wilshere's performance against Manchester City was extremely good but after he picked up an ankle injury against Borussia Dortmund it could now mean Ozil is moved back in to the middle of the pitch. Wilshere's injury, although you never like to see one, could have the potential be a blessing in disguise for Arsenal if Ozil now finds his form.

Whilst it’s hugely frustrating and disappointing to see Ozil not playing to the high standards expected, to some extent his performances do deserve criticising. Against Manchester City at the weekend and on quite a few occasions last season even the simplest things such as making a five-yard pass and holding onto the ball have become a problem.

There’s certainly no denying Ozil’s talent though, and on his day he’s a world beater with the potential to create a piece of magic out of nowhere, and that’s exactly why Arsenal paid all that money to bring him to the Emirates.